Love Song
by Groundis
Summary: Years of denial and longing only have only made the reward that much sweeter. A full-length story with illustrations drawn by ABlueDeer, more info in the author's note!
1. Chapter 1

There it was again. That tiny shuffle in the back of his head, the pressure of a pair of eyes watching, waiting. A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth, even as he tried his best to bury it beneath his work. Fox hefted another large crate off the shelf in front of him, resting it on his knee for a moment while he readjusted his grip. Turning around and lugging the box to the middle of the room was the first step in a pattern that they'd been repeating endlessly all day. As usual, he felt the weight of her gaze vanish from his back after he spun around. Now, it was his turn to be graced with a peek at the vixen he would never tire of admiring. Krystal's graceful, effortless figure glided away from him, her curvy hips swaying with each step, her tail drifting slowly back and forth in relaxed contentment. Fox had to beat back his ever-growing grin as he watched her move.

The vulpine set his box down on the conveyor belt in the center of the room, idly pushing it along while reflecting on the last hour he'd spent in the presence of this magnificent vixen. The _Great Fox_ had docked on Corneria a day ago, and now, he and Krystal were unloading some of their old gear onto an outfitter truck, where it would be refurbished and returned in working condition after a few repairs. They had talked and joked for the first half of their work, both of them smiling and laughing, happy as could be. He loved the sound of her melodious laugh. The warmth of her devilish smile. A little blood rushed to his throat when the vixen bent over to pick up her next package. He could've sworn she purposefully flicked her tail around to frame her heart-shaped backside, her endlessly long, lean legs hugged perfectly by the tight fabric of her piloting suit. If he hadn't been monitoring every single thing he did around the blue fox, he would've let out a long, happy sigh as his eyes ran over her supple, powerful body.

And yet, when Krystal finally stood back up with a box in hand, Fox was quick to tear his eyes away from the goddess and resume his work before she could notice anything out of the ordinary. He trudged back over to the shelf of cargo, its bland metallic surfaces a stark contrast to Krystal's soft curves. The entire past half hour had repeated this cycle again and again. Feeling her eyes resting on his back, picking up a package, staring at the most beautiful woman he'd ever met, sending the package on its way, and glancing away at the last possible moment.

It had been a wonderful hour.

Fox lifted one more crate up into his arms, his fur still standing on end with the excitement of Krystal's electrifying gaze. Yet when he turned around this time, he never felt her eyes leave his body. Instead, Fox was greeted with a new image that broke their delicate cycle. Krystal's sights were locked onto him when he spun around, catching him off guard with the intensity and mischief swirling behind her oceanic irises. She leaned on her own box, smirking at him the entire time he was walking over to set his crate down on the belt. The smile he'd been working so hard to suppress finally tugged the corners of his mouth up under her scrutinizing stare.

"What are you looking at?" he asked with humor rumbling behind his words. He plopped his box down and folded his arms on top of it, holding fast in the face of Krystal's adamantly entertained expression. He saw one of her ears flutter happily as he stared right back at her, returning her expression unabashed. "Did I get a smudge on my shirt during breakfast or something?"

Krystal giggled at that, her smirk morphing into a genuine smile. She pushed off of her container, strutting around the conveyor belt towards the tod. The two broke eye contact as she slipped behind him. While she was in his blind spot, she sent a shudder of delight down his spine and tail by trailing one finger between his shoulder blades, only taking her spot standing next to him after flicking the back of his head playfully.

"I seem to be looking at a lazy space bum," she purred in her tantalizing, accented voice, their noses almost touching as she took a step closer to him, "who keeps hardworking ladies like myself waiting on him to finish their half of the work." Fox glanced away from her cocky gaze for just a moment to size up her shelf and how many boxes she still had left to carry over. True to her word, her half of the room was spotless. The tod didn't even need to turn around to know he still had about a half dozen of his own shipments to get through. He turned back to the blue fox with a sheepish look, basking in the glow of her own superior satisfaction.

"Would it be fair if the lazy space bum asked the hardworking lady for a little help?" Fox inquired innocently, giving her the best set of puppy eyes he could muster up on short notice. Krystal seemed to deliberate for a moment, but eventually pushed off the belt, leaving him in a cool breeze that carried her faint, heady scent of lilac and apple. She glided around him and stopped in front of one of his various boxes splayed across the floor, resting one foot on it while eyeing him up from across the space.

"You want _my_ help moving all of _your_ heavy crates? I thought you were supposed to be a gentleman, Captain," Krystal asked with pretend indignation, playful sarcasm laced into her final drawn out word, making him roll his eyes. She bent down over the package she stood in front of, hefting it into both arms before finally resting it on her shoulder. "I bet you're just too tired to pick any more of these up, aren't you?" she teased, striding over next to him and setting her crate down with a metallic clank.

Fox chuckled at her faux-admonishment. Already, he could feel a familiar bubbliness popping in his stomach, equal parts nervous butterflies and eager excitement. Being around the vixen did this to him; she made him brash and bold and confident. Any other time in his life, people would have called him reserved, quiet, even a little distant. But when Krystal was nearby, every dormant happy emotion in his body muscled its way into his disposition.

"Me? Tired?" he asked with one eyebrow cocked. Her only response was a single head nod, looking sure of her deduction. An entertained breath escaped his lips at her challenge. An idea immediately floated to the top of his mind, one that he knew he would have to put into action. It may have been silly, but Krystal had a way of making him feel so alive, and turning all of his playful ideas into a moment the two of them could share in a way he couldn't with anyone else. Plus... well, he liked showing off for his vixen.

Fox spun on his heel, earning a small giggle from the blue fox when he purposefully let his tail bat against the side of her face. He strode over to the remaining pile of boxes, taking stock of what he had to work with. A plan began to construct itself in his brain, and before long, he knew how to execute his scheme. The tod shot a smirk over his shoulder as he picked up the first box in his arms, earning an inquisitive expression from the vixen.

He set the first crate in the middle of the space before pacing over to a second box. Its solid mass weighed down in his arms, but he knew that it wouldn't be an issue. Certainly not with Krystal motivating him. Fox shuffled back over to the first box and set the new one down on top of it, forming the foundation of a small tower. He repeated that once, twice, three more times until he had a stack of boxes about as tall as himself. Fox lobbed one last confident smile towards the vixen who was watching with eagerness, her tail wagging excitedly behind herself for the show. No way he could keep her waiting now.

Without missing a beat, he crouched down to the base of the tower, getting a grip near the very bottom and squaring his feet on either side. With a quick huff of breath, the tod pushed hard off the floor, straightening his knees and carrying the whole stack up with him. The mass burned in his straining arms and his legs protested the sudden doubling of the weight they were supporting, but after a few moments of adjustment, he proudly held all of the remaining boxes at once. Fox poked his head around the stack to get a glimpse of the vixen's reaction. He was sure he was grinning like an idiot, but her expression was greater than his could've ever been. Her face was lit up in beautiful laughter, her lips turned upwards into a gleaming smile. Fox tossed his goofy grin right back at her. His body might have hated him for pulling stunts like this, but seeing Krystal's smile always made it worth it.

The vulpine took several halting steps forward with the stack, needing to stop every couple seconds to prevent the entire thing from tumbling down and smashing his feet. After only a few more paces though, he lifted the whole pile up, and set it down on the belt with a loud mechanical bang. A long breath escaped his lungs when he finally relieved the pressure on his arms. Once he'd caught his breath, Fox glanced back at the vixen's radiant eyes, feeling positive he'd made his point.

"This lazy space bum never gets tired," he said, trying to hide the tiredness laced in his words. "Especially not when hardworking ladies attack his reputation."

Krystal cooed back at the vulpine, taking a silent step in closer to him, bringing their muzzles only a few tantalizing inches away from each other once more. "I'll need to besmirch your honor more often then." Krystal's eyes sparkled with slyness. "If I call you a bad pilot, will you clean my room for me?"

Fox snickered, resting his back against the sturdy pile of crates he'd just set down. "You'll have to call me something worse than that if you want me to tidy up that disaster you call a bedroom," he prodded right back at her. Krystal shoved him lightly with one hand.

"That's not fair!" she laughed, crossing her arms. "Not all of us want to live with only five possessions, like you do." It was true, he could count the number of belongings he owned on one hand. "And besides," she said, still lecturing him with mock outrage, "if you could carry six boxes this entire time, why were you only carrying one? We could've been out of here ages ago!"

Fox bit his tongue just in time to stop his instinctual answer from sailing out of his mouth.

 _So I could spend more time with you._

It would be so easy to say. It would be so simple, he realized, just to turn those few words loose to the world. Even if they might wreak havoc, at least it would alleviate the crushing weight on his chest. But, he knew he shouldn't say anything. Couldn't say anything. The tension had grown so much over the past months that it hurt, but still, he would be silent.

"I just didn't want to one-up you," Fox waved off with a fake, casual smile papering over the true twisting he felt in his gut. "I wouldn't want to embarrass you or anything," he finished, chuckling.

Krystal laughed along with him, lightly, gently, but that wasn't all Fox could see. For just a moment, the tod was sure he saw a small flash of disappointment flit across her face, her eyes losing a little of their glimmer and the corners of her ears wilting in resignation. The look faded in the time it took him to blink however, and Krystal was back to her usual coy joy before the vulpine could figure out whether what he'd seen had been his based in his imagination or based in reality.

"Such an empathetic creature," she murred. "Maybe you really are a gentleman. Although, if you don't want to embarrass yourself next time..." she trailed off, spinning on her heel and striding confidently away from the tod now that their task was done. She stopped in the doorway for just a moment, throwing him a wink over one shoulder. "...Maybe clean the spot off your shirt from breakfast."

Fox glanced down at where the vixen's hand was pointing, and sure enough, he found a bright red stain on the front of his jacket that had been there all day. His cheeks heated up, this time from mortification instead of excitement. He scraped frantically at the mark, but by the time he'd gotten it off and looked back up, he found he doorway empty, filled instead by the sterile white paneling out in the hall. The only hints that the vixen had ever been there were her delicate scent still hanging in the air, and her happy humming as she skipped away.

/

Krystal wasn't short on struggles in her past. Over the course of her life, she'd lost everyone and everything when her home planet had been scoured of life, had spent months adrift in the stars with nothing but her own thoughts to keep her company, had stared down a barbaric dictator on Sauria, had plunged into the heart of the Aparoid Homeworld in what everyone had called a suicide mission, and had even singlehandedly fended off Falco's rampage after Slippy replaced the air horn in his Arwing with a sound clip of a squeaky toy. Krystal liked to think that at this point, she'd faced off against the worst the universe could throw at her, and thrived against all odds. And yet, despite all the medals and honors that lined her cabin's walls, there was still one thing that sent a bone-chilling shudder down her spine. A single ordeal that was enough to shake even her iron will into panicked hesitation.

General Pepper's mission briefings.

There wasn't anything wrong with Pepper, necessarily. He was a kind, if somewhat excitable, leader who had welcomed her with open arms when Star Fox had recruited her. Even if he wasn't always the best informed, the hound had done everything in his power to provide Star Fox with all the support they needed, and both sides had come to rely on the other over the years. However, with all that being said, Pepper had one fatal flaw that made her dread these briefings. Krystal shut her eyes and let out a long, silent sigh as she watched the clock tick into the third consecutive hour of Pepper's unstoppable monologue. The General was the single most talkative person she'd ever met.

Krystal kept her eyes fixed on the screen displaying Pepper's image at the front of the room, even though her mind was wandering absolutely anywhere it could outside the bounds of this tedious meeting. Maybe in some other universe, she was lounged on a sunny beach, with one hand closed lazily around a cold drink, and her other trailing through the powdered golden sand beneath her. The vixen's lashes fluttered closed as the relaxing scene painted itself inside her eyelids. She could feel the soft ocean breeze rustle her fur, even if in reality it was just the ship's oxygen reclaimer. She could hear the waves break against the weathered rocks, even if it was just the distant thrum of the ship's engine. Relaxation crept into her muscles as the real world slipped away, Pepper's twentieth story about his grandkids fading into the blissful silence of her idyllic fantasy. Soft rays of sunlight diffused into her sapphire fur, eroding away the layers of stress and tension that endless months of mercenary work tended to leave behind.

And yet... Krystal's brow furrowed, displeased. Something about the image in her head was wrong. Sure, the setting was heavenly, but it lacked something critical. Something that, when absent, the vixen immediately noticed because of the empty void in her chest. Fortunately, it could be easily fixed.

When she looked over in her fantasy this time, instead of seeing unending miles of unbroken coastline, she saw an orange tod lounging back in his chair. Krystal smiled as her eyes ran up and down imaginary Fox McCloud's immaculately sculpted body. He wore his aviators slightly askew on his nose, his bright red scarf draped down the back of his chair. The vulpine's bare fur shimmered in the baking light, brilliant shades of orange and white. His toned, athletic body made her cheeks flush and her legs rub together in anticipation. The strong cords in his arms were at rest for the moment, but she knew he was always one move away from making his athletic form dance. However, neither the setting, the tranquility, nor even her love's toned figure were the best part of her dream. She reached one hand out, taking Fox's hand in hers and feeling their fingers intertwine in a knot that felt so familiar in her mind, and yet she'd never actually experienced in real life.

A peaceful, devilish smile broke across her lips when Fox craned his head to the side a few degrees, connecting their eyes over the small space that separated them. Fox arched one eyebrow at her inquisitively, but his false aloofness quickly crumbled into that goofy smile of his that she never seemed to get quite enough of. Beyond the physical though, Krystal could feel the broiling, vivacious presence of the tod's agile thoughts beaming across their telepathic link. The summer day may have been hot, but the sensation of Fox's blazing furnace of a mind made Lyla look like little more than a sputtering campfire. A quiet, content sigh escaped the vixen's lips as she settled back into her chair, their hands clasped, their thoughts connected, and everything absolutely perfect with the universe.

But of course, she could only keep the illusion alive for so long before reality reasserted its dominance.

Piece by piece, she felt the fantasy slip from her mind. The waves and sand faded into indistinct blankness, along with the sound of the sea and the heat of the sun. Before long, all that was left was Fox's handsome face, still burning bright in her memory. No matter how many times she was gifted with a fleeting glimpse of the fox, it always felt as intense and heart stopping as the first time she'd seen him on Sauria. With one last burst of mental effort, she held that picture of Fox McCloud as the sole focus of her attention. His fur shifting softly in the breeze, his emerald eyes bottomless and infinitely complex, his adorable button nose wrinkling slightly as his grinned back at her... It was sublime.

 _He's... a miracle. My miracle._

Krystal's eyes fluttered back open at that thought, suddenly hungry for a glance at the actual, physical Hero of Lylat, instead of just her cheap mental re-creation. Her ears folded back slightly in annoyance when her vision was assaulted by the dreary meeting room she'd temporarily escaped from, but luckily, she only had to suffer it for a moment before her gaze landed on the streak of vivid orange and white fur that she adored. She expected him to be facing forwards, probably paying strict attention to the briefing that Pepper was handing out. Krystal was surprised, however, to find him turned towards her, his eyes already waiting to link with her own. Fox looked at her like he could tell she'd been miles away for the past few minutes. The vixen smiled a little, blushing ever so slightly into his knowing expression. His hands reached out for his holo-screen's keyboard, and after a few quick taps at the glass, Krystal saw a new message pop up in the corner of her own communicator, from the tod himself. She looked at Fox with a grin, wondering what he was doing instead of paying attention to the briefing. The vulpine nodded towards her computer, seeming to insist that she open up his ping. She rolled her eyes as she tried to contain a giggle, double tapping the flashing icon and glancing over the short sentence that awaited her.

"Was it a beach or a forest?"

Krystal shook her head, her smile widening. How Fox managed to understand her so perfectly continued to astound her. Over the months, they'd grown close enough to be able to finish each other's sentences, to exist on exactly the same stream of thought on the battlefield. With hours spent pushing each other to improve in their simulators, days spent egging each other on in the gym, weeks spent conversing with each other well into the mornings, there was nobody that the vixen had ever felt this close to. For as well as he understood her though, she knew the vulpine just as well. The way his eyes sparkled after his corny jokes, the way the tip of his tail flicked when he yawned, all of it flowed together into her mental image of her handsome, heroic Fox. That being said, she still had plenty of surprises in her, and she wasn't about to concede a point to him without a fight. Krystal pouted innocently at the vulpine, batting her eyelashes when she sent off her return volley.

"Beach? Forest? I don't understand what you mean, Foxy-Woxy."

Fox raised one eyebrow at her. His lips pulled up into a familiar, slightly competitive smile, the same grin he got whenever he realized that the vixen was starting up their invigorating, teasing dance with each other.

"The place you were just daydreaming about. Was it a beach, or a forest?"

Krystal's fingers hovered over the keys for just a moment. Fox was good.

"Daydreaming? I wasn't daydreaming! I'm enraptured by Pepper's story about his granddaughter's favorite flavor of baby food, clearly."

Fox had to hold back an involuntary snicker at that, covering his mouth with the back of his hand so none of the people in the video call could see. Once he'd regained his composure, Fox typed out another message, laughter still making his ears flick every couple seconds.

"Sure, the same way that I'm enraptured by Falco's tall tales about screwing five girls at the same time, or Slippy's lectures on proper engine maintenance techniques. Now stop dodging the question: beach or forest?"

Krystal rolled her eyes impishly, finally willing to give an inch to the tod and his insistence.

"Beach."

Glancing up from her screen, she saw his eyes glint in triumph.

"I knew it. After that outing on Fichina, I'd kill for a day at the beach."

"Well, you got your wish, in a way. You were there with me."

Fox grinned at her, holding a playfully sarcastic hand over his heart in appreciation.

"Oh, was I really?"

"Of course. After all, somebody had to bring me my frilly drinks."

His tail flicked pleasantly across the table, quickly bouncing a response back to her communicator.

"You always could've had Falco do that instead."

Krystal had to suppress her own giggle at the mental image of Falco serving her some fruity drink with frosted glass, and a tiny umbrella. Preferably with a loop of tropical flowers around his neck, and maybe a grass skirt.

"Falco? If I'd wanted a bird to spit in my drink, I'd have gotten a seagull to do it."

A wash of pride rushed to her heart when he saw the vulpine visibly sputter at her retort, trying desperately to hold back a bout of laughter. Krystal couldn't help but let out a tiny giggle herself when he failed after a second of futility, letting out an awkward choking noise that made Falco and Slippy both glance over with a questioning look. He excused himself after regaining his composure. The vixen rolled her eyes when he blamed it on his water having gone down the wrong way. Once the attention was off himself, he typed back a furtive response, blushing intensely under her cocky stare.

"Now I remember why we can't text during our meetings. You're too damn funny for your own good."

"I might be funny, but at least I'm not funny-looking, unlike some vulpines…"

Fox arched one eyebrow at her from across the table.

"Me? Funny looking? That's big talk from somebody with blue fur."

Krystal pouted, but really underneath it she was all smiles. She was sure Fox could tell, with the lighthearted smirk he wore while pretending to pay attention to the meeting.

"Exactly, all you Lylatian foxes have odd orange fur. Honestly, I don't see what the big deal is."

Fox shook his head from across the table, knowing that now, he had to rise to her challenge. Krystal's heart beat a little faster in her chest. She loved these dances they performed, and it seemed like no matter what the circumstances were, as long as you stuck the two of them in a room together, they'd find some way to tease and taunt the other. Even in this formal meeting, her unspoken dare wouldn't go without a response. It was exhilarating, getting to have these circuitous, careful, wild exchanges with him. She always felt out of control around the vulpine, like he made her want to take risks, like he brought her all the way out of her cautious shell. And, when she received the vulpine's next response, it became clear he felt the same way.

"What the big deal is? Oh, I can show you what the big deal is right now."

Slowly, after surreptitiously ensuring that Pepper was still rambling on, Falco was still safely pretending not be asleep, and Slippy was still fiddling with a gadget under the table, Fox leaned back in his chair, looking to all the world like he was simply going to stretch his arms and back, clearing away the cobwebs after several sedentary hours in the same meeting. Fox had something slightly different in mind for her, however. Krystal bit her lip and crossed her legs when he moved his arms up behind his head, stretching his broad, flat, athletic chest out so the fabric of his t-shirt clung to the defined muscles just underneath. The contours of a body that would've made gods jealous and goddesses swoon appeared even through the soft article of clothing, making her mouth water and her heart race. With how much he'd already managed to get her going, it was all the vixen could do not to spontaneously combust when Fox presented the main course.

The vulpine hooked both hands behind his head and flexed, bringing forward the strong ropes and cords in his arms that laid just beneath the surface. Krystal failed miserably at maintaining a neutral composure at his demonstration. Fox might've been built for speed, but those were arms that could pin a tank, could level a mountain. In that moment, there was nothing Krystal wanted more than to feel those powerful arms around her waist and back, pulling her against his warrior's frame. Her vision went a little red at the mere thought of the orange fox's toned body pinning her up against a wall, those deft hands working to undo the clasps and zippers of their uniforms until they could feel their bare fur against each other. Krystal's eyelids fluttered at the mental image. Unfortunately however, her show ended nearly as soon as it began.

Fox lowered his arms before anyone could notice that he was showing off. Once he'd checked around the room one more time to make sure he hadn't been caught, he glanced over at her with a nonchalant look of self-satisfaction. His emerald irises sparkled with joy. He was adorable. Handsome. And far, far too much for her brain to handle at the moment. She tried offer up any kind of resistance to his self-satisfaction, but her twitching tail and wildfire of a blush sapped away any legitimacy she might've had. Krystal knew the sudden bout of shyness that had overtaken her would only make his grin wider, and the inferno of his mind feel even greater to her telepathy. Her eyes were fixed in her lap for a few moments, fire pulsing in her chest and throat, before she heard the soft ping of her holoscreen in front of her. She braved looking up, and sure enough, there was one of the vulpine's messages awaiting her.

"And that's what the big deal is, Blueberry."

Krystal finally let her eyes entangle with his again after a long breath, having regained enough composure to re-focus herself. She couldn't help but giggle a little at his sideways smile, at his eyes glinting with laughter, at the ridiculous nickname that she adored more than her real name. Goddesses, she loved it when he looked like this. He radiated confidence in that moment, and it was all because he'd gotten her to smile. Any time he managed to get a laugh out of her, she didn't need her telepathy to see his mood soar. Right now he looked like he ruled the world, and at least to the vixen… he did rule her world.

Behind his brash, victorious posture, however, was a fierce, burning care. She knew that he would push his strong, powerful arms past their limits to keep her safe. To make her happy. Whenever she saw this intoxicating swirl of love and cockiness on his face… All she wanted to do was throw herself at him, and mash her lips rough up against his.

And yet despite that, for the time being, she'd have to content herself with continuing their intricate dance, pretending to ignore the sparks that flew between them. Her hands reached out to the keyboard in front of her, typing out another teasing message, instead of the emotional admission she really wanted to send. Krystal wasn't about to let Fox checkmate her with a little flexing though, and while she was typing, she purposefully leaned a little farther forward than absolutely necessary, pushing her arms together just enough to let her fluffy, white cleavage spill over the top of her shirt. The corner of her lips curved upwards when the pride in his expression drained in an instant, his eyes going wide and his heart stopping in his chest. Fox looked away when he realized he was staring, only daring to bring his unblinking eyes up to his monitor when he heard his communicator ping.

"Not bad, flyboy. I'm still taller than you though."

Fox chuckled quietly to himself, but behind his disheveled eyes and unsteady breath, she could've sworn she saw a small twinge of disappointment. If it existed at all though, it was gone in an instant, replaced with his same love, care, and mischief once he'd calmed down.

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"Nope! You know me so well, Foxy."

The pair of them both laughed silently with each other, quickly losing themselves in the other. It might not have been the passion and open love that she wanted, but just being able to spend time with him was enough. Getting to make him laugh, to revel in his company, to feel like there was somebody who truly understood her, somebody who she could protect and be protected by until her last breath… that was enough. For now.

/

Hours. Hours had passed in that cramped, poorly ventilated room before General Pepper had finally ended their briefing. He appreciated the old man, and knew that Star Fox never would've gotten off the ground without his support and belief. Ever since the Aparoid Incident though, he'd started taking… fuller advantage of his life. Living more in the now. And he made sure that everyone else was keenly aware of that fact. Fox turned around the corner, continuing his stroll down the long hallways of the _Great Fox_ , shaking off the dust that had collected in his mind while listening to the old hound. Luckily, his secretary had sent along the highlights of their mission assignment afterwards. A vessel that had been transporting military research and prototype weaponry had gone missing on the seas of Aquas, and foul play was suspected in its disappearance. Star Fox had been tasked with locating the missing ship and, more importantly, its cargo. Nothing that his crew couldn't handle. He glanced around, taking in the sleek design of the ship, its sturdy and capable hull plating keeping him safe and secure in deep space. It'd be awhile before he was inside it again.

The vulpine had been on a lot of different ships over the course of his life. When Fox was a kid, his dad had taken him to visit every air and space museum across the system, and had plopped him down in every open cockpit he could find. At the Academy, Fox had run drills and simulations on every Cornerian warship imaginable, from light and agile fighter-corvettes, to gargantuan, titanium clad destroyers. Once he'd become a mercenary, his horizons had broadened even further, as he'd been introduced to every zany, ramshackle configuration of metal that barely qualified as space worthy. Interplanetary tug boats, asteroid skimmers, he'd seen it all, every craft pushing the envelope of "spaceship" a little further than the last.

And yet, despite his years of experience, he could safely say that he'd never been inside a ship that felt quite like the _Great Fox_. Every vessel had its own personality to it. Some were supposed to be sleek and menacing, others practical and unassuming. But in Fox's mind, his spacecraft carried the memory of his cheerful, gregarious father in every nook and cranny. A wave of bittersweet nostalgia washed over Fox as his eyes traced the welding in the wall panels, peeking into passing rooms to see what they hid away.

James McCloud had been a goofy, hopeless show off. Fox grinned, remembering all the times his dad had gone to astounding lengths in the name of entertaining him and his mother, Vixy. He saw that same enthusiasm for life built into every corner of the ship around him. Every sleek corner seemed to curl up into a sly smile, and every broad door entrance seemed to welcome love and challenge with equal enthusiasm. Maybe it was crazy, but being on the _Great Fox_ made him feel like his father was still standing right next to him.

Of course, that wasn't actually the case. James had perished at the hands of Emperor Andross at the beginning of the Lylat War. At the end of that same war, he'd taken vengeance for his father's death, killing Andross with his own two hands. He'd been so angry. There had been so much rage inside himself when he'd pulled the trigger.

Fox had thought that ending Andross' life would finally bring him peace, but it hadn't. Instead, he'd wandered aimlessly for months afterwards, jaded, bitter, restless. He'd driven Falco away, and frankly, was lucky that Slippy and Peppy hadn't followed him out the door. In those days, seeing his father in every corner of the _Great Fox_ hadn't been comforting. Instead, it had been a constant reminder that nothing was going to bring his parents back. He could go to the ends of the galaxy, move entire planets, take down every bad guy in the system, and nothing was going to change.

But then, miraculously, something had changed. He'd found Krystal.

To this day, Fox could still remember just how free he'd felt that first time Krystal had looked up at him. It was as if he'd spent the previous dark years of his life slowly piling heavy boulders on his back, each one dragging him deeper in an empty abyss. And yet, in that single moment when he gazed into Krystal's bottomless, oceanic eyes, that burden simply vanished, leaving him feeling weightless and free. Fox took a flight of stairs upwards two at a time, a little spring in every step as the memory of that fateful night bubbled into his memory. Meeting Krystal had blasted away all of the darkness that had haunted his heart, leaving behind joyous, giddy ecstasy in its place. Krystal made him feel like he could do anything. As long as she was with him, nothing could take him down.

Fox's ear swiveled to the side as he continued strolling down the long, bright corridors of his cruiser, and his head soon turned to follow. If he strained his hearing, the vulpine could've sworn that somebody was… singing? Arching one eyebrow in curiosity, he spun around on his heel, heading towards the source of the sound. His reminiscence shuffled into the back corners of his mind, put on hold for another time. Thinking about Krystal was never far away for the tod, after all.

Fox took a quick right around the next corner, each footfall producing the short click of rubber against tile. It couldn't be Falco, because he only started singing when he was belligerently drunk. It wasn't Slippy, because when the frog sang, it was only the theme songs to his favorite movies and cartoons. The closer he came to the source of the music, the clearer it became, until eventually his ears perked with recognition.

Krystal was singing.

Fox's smile grew wide when he recognized the hauntingly beautiful voice as the vixen's. The lilt of her voice, her stunning accent whirling into her smooth, subtle humming… Krystal's voice stirred something deep inside him, gripping his heart and drawing him towards her. In an instant, he was no longer in control of his feet. Instead, pure instinct compelled him to seek out his vixen. The magnetism drawing him towards her was beyond his control, and forcing himself to stop would've been like asking him to stop his heartbeat. It was out of his hands. And he was fine with that.

Eventually, Fox found himself standing outside the _Great Fox_ 's lounge, Krystal's voice now lovely and full in his ears. He stepped through the doorway, careful to muffle his steps on the ratty rug splayed across the floor and avoid interrupting her siren song. He peeked around the corner cautiously, and was rewarded with the sight of the lovely blue fox. His tail swayed from side to side, that familiar bubbling feeling returning to his thoughts. She wasn't watching television like he'd expected, however. Instead, Krystal was flitting from place to place within their small kitchen, moving between pots and pans with the grace of a dancer, all the while singing a tune aloud to herself, each note clear and musical.

The magnets in Fox's skin pulled him even further forward, until he was only a few feet away from her. He stepped quietly so he wouldn't break the spell that the vixen had woven, peeking at her from behind a thin wall. From here, her song was no longer muffled and distant, as it had been when he was walking through the hallways. Every word that left her lips was beautifully crisp, somehow flowing effortlessly into the next while still remaining sharp and poignant. Unfortunately, however, he couldn't understand what she was singing about, because the blue fox was speaking in her native tongue, Cerinian.

Even though he couldn't understand the words, he could still tell how much swelling emotion was behind every verse. Her voice was low and soft, tender and careful. Fox's breath hitched in his throat as Krystal's words seized at his soul. Whatever she was singing about, the protective growl hidden under her words and devotion collecting in a purposeful crescendo clued him in that it was direly important to her. The vulpine could only watch in mute astonishment with his muzzle slightly ajar as she swayed her hips and flicked her tail in time with the melody.

Fox knew that this song, whatever it meant, was important to Krystal. She purred the words with enough emphasis and meaning that it seemed as though her life depended on it. Maybe her life did depend on it. Whatever it was about though, it didn't really matter. His nose twitched in anticipation, and he felt a familiar contraction in his chest that was half nerves and half ecstasy. A smile crept onto his lips, partially because the sight in front of him was the most marvelous image that he'd ever witnessed, but mostly because if something was this significant to Krystal, that meant it was important to him too.

Fox felt his feet shuffling beneath him, bringing him out from behind his cover. He autonomously began to cross the last few feet separating himself from the love of his life, but he didn't try to resist. Instead, he let her sweetly accented voice permeate all his thoughts and senses, losing himself in a world of Blue, even as his cheeks and throat instinctively flushed deep red. He couldn't stand remaining silent for even a minute longer, so he risked a quick rap of his knuckles on the kitchen wall to catch her attention.

Every time Fox thought that he had this vixen figured out, she managed to surprise him. Even now, when he'd expected her to stop singing and turn around to face him in surprise, she defied his expectations. Instead, the vixen simply continued to cook and sing, paying him absolutely no notice. Of course, he still knew the vixen better than most people. The subtlest rotation of her ear gave away that she had indeed heard him, meaning that right now, she was just egging him on. Fox chuckled, imagining the cocky grin that was surely spread across her lips at this very moment. If it was a game she wanted, it was a game she'd get.

Fox knocked again a second time, this time louder, striding into the kitchen just behind her. Still, however, the vixen didn't react. He tapped his foot, putting one fist under his chin in thought. He reached out to one side, quickly grasping a towel in his right hand. With a quick toss, he arced the fabric across the few feet towards his target, and with a satisfying _flumph_ , the rag landed squarely on the top of her head. Gratification welled in his heart, proud both at his incredible aim and that, surely, he'd now secured the vixen's attention.

To his astonishment however, Krystal didn't even flinch with the towel splayed across her ears,

still somehow ignoring the tod.

The grin on Fox's muzzle widened as he stared at her, both impressed and utterly, desperately in love. In love with this gorgeous vixen who had the most angelic voice in Lylat, who was the most terrifying brawler in the galaxy, and was the sole person capable of going toe to toe with him in his commitment to their constant game. A low growl rumbled in his throat as he admired the vixen that was still refusing to acknowledge his presence, even as the towel slid off her head and tumbled to the ground around her feet. From his current position though, he could see the crooked grin on her muzzle, and her shoulders shaking as she beat laughter back. He was going to get her attention, no matter how hard she tried to pretend he wasn't there.

And so, without a second thought, Fox brought both of his arms up from his sides, and slowly, quietly, slid them around the vixen, pulling her into a gentle hug from behind.

The two molded together with a shared breath, her back fitting snugly against his torso, her silken violet hair sitting just by his muzzle. All sense told him that they both should've instantly been on red alert now that they were so close to one another, but miraculously, Krystal melted in his arms, her hands dropping what they were doing so they could clasp over his. They rocked to one side slowly, swaying to the side in unison without ever losing a millimeter of space between their bound figures. Fox naturally felt himself rise up onto his toes, pulling her into an intimate orbit. Their shared body heat warmed him to the core, and a content fire diffused outwards from his heart into the rest of his body. The two foxes shuffled in close to each other, erasing every gap separating themselves from the other. Every place they came in contact felt like a lightning bolt arcing across his skin. Even though he should've been a stuttering, nervous mess, he wasn't. He'd waited so long to admit his feelings for the vixen. Fox knew he couldn't share them, but... this still felt natural. How things should've been. The vulpine lost himself in a haze of happiness as Krystal curled back against him. He'd gotten her attention now.

He was brought back to reality when Krystal's singing finally tapered off into silence, leaving the two of them in comfortable silence, simply reveling in each other's presence, enjoying the feeling of their embrace. Fox's eyes refocused and shifted over to the blue fox when he heard her murmuring. He couldn't make out what she was saying though, so he made an inquisitive noise, shuffling in a little closer in their hug. The vixen's head turned to the side to face him better. He couldn't help but grin when he saw that same mischievous glint in her eye that meant she knew exactly what she was doing. She'd planned this all along. She'd played him like an instrument. And now, when she opened her mouth, his face flushed a deep crimson as she sprung her trap.

"I know you like my cooking, captain," she said, still pressing back into his chest, "but I'm going need more than a hug before I let you have any." Fox let out a quick laugh at the vixen's teasing, a burning blush spreading in his ears despite the grin on his lips. As quickly as their embrace had begun, his arms fell away, partially because of his laughter, but mostly to avoid evolving their hug into anything more than platonic. It was a constant struggle, showing his affection for Krystal without revealing just how deep the rabbit hole really went. They worked together, and being in a relationship with Krystal could jeopardize missions, even the entire team. If he made a biased, emotional decision, that could cost lives. That, and… he'd lost people that he'd loved before. Fox knew that he couldn't survive that guilt and isolation again. But being here next to Krystal made that struggle seem less and less worthwhile every day. It was a fight he wasn't sure how much longer he was going to be able to continue. One that he wasn't sure he even wanted to keep up any longer.

Krystal turned around slowly, leaning back against the countertop as she gazed at him with her endless turquoise eyes. Her eyelids were half shut in contentment. She looked tired from a long day of meetings, but there was still an unquenchable joy simmering behind her irises, the embers of her indomitable spirit. She rested her palms on the island behind her, pushing her chest out just a little, making a soft hum while waiting for his response. He was prepared, of course.

"Your cooking?" Fox started, crossing his arms with a smile and shaking his head. "You may be an ace pilot, a terror with a rifle, and an artist with a staff, but you aren't a chef. Trust me."

"Hey!" she exclaimed, giggling and bopping him on the nose with her spatula, "I'll have you know Slippy eats everything I make for him, and always asks for seconds."

"That's because Slippy eats everything that everybody gives him," he volleyed back at her jestingly. The vixen began to respond, but apparently found herself on the losing end of the debate, because she just let out a short _humph_ and turned back to her cooking.

"Well if you're going to be that way, you can't have any of this special meal I was making you," she huffed, her rapidly wagging tail brushing gingerly past his knees. His ears perked up however, now curious.

"For me? What's the occasion?" he asked, looking over her shoulder at the bubbling pan boiling on their electric stove.

The blue fox brought a ladle up to her lips, taking a delicate sip of the broth before wrinkling her nose ever so slightly, and tossing an alarming army of colorful spice into the bowl. She looked back over at him, beginning to speak again. "Your mission, of course! We're celebrating another year of us protecting the system, and not going bankrupt in the process." She said the words with her usual energy and playful sarcasm, but laced beneath her familiar tone, Fox could still pick out hints of another emotion. He could've sworn that he sensed a fleeting moment of… sadness? The tod was confused for a moment, but everything clicked once the vixen finished her thought.

"And besides…" she trailed off, turning away slightly, "this is a mission for one, right? You're not going to get any real cooking on your own out there, knowing you." The puzzle pieces in Fox's brain finally fit together when the vixen said that. She was upset that he was going on this mission alone. She was unhappy that he was leaving! A smile spread across his lips, this time not teasing or mischievous, but with radiating true happiness behind it.

"Krystal…" he said softly, his voice bringing her back around to look him in the eye. "I'm not going on this mission alone." Her mouth opened a little in surprise, hesitating in place. "Falco would just complain the entire time, and Slippy's spending all month researching over at the planetarium," he shrugged. "I need backup from somebody who's good in a fight, and somebody who can think on their feet. I want somebody I can trust," Fox asserted, seeing her breath hitch on his last word. His eyes softened after a second though, and he pulled a small envelope out of his back pocket. With a lopsided grin, he handed the letter to her, watching Krystal open it like it was a priceless artifact. She pulled the sheet of paper out into the open, and through the translucent paper, he could make out the official Star Fox logo he'd stamped onto the document a few minutes earlier, along with three bold words.

 _MISSION ASSIGNMENT: KRYSTAL_

The vixen stared at the piece of paper for a long minute, her eyes scanning back and forth several times, as if she were trying to process exactly what the document was trying to tell her. Every time she leapt back to the beginning of the document, she'd do her best to remain neutral and level, but a quick fan of her tail or clenching of her fists would signal just how jubilant she was to see this document. Eventually she peered back up at him with her same calm demeanor, but now, the sad dullness in her eyes had been replaced with vivacious electricity. Now, she looked at him with a bonfire raging in those ink black pupils of hers, invigorated. "A mission together at last," she purred, her voice low and pleased.

He nodded once, tracing circles on the marble behind him. "Like I said, I need somebody I trust. And I trust you, Krystal," he said, filtering the emotion out of his voice, trying to keep his tone as matter-of-fact as possible. "I take it you're okay with hopping out of your cockpit for a little while?"

"I think it'd be absolutely divine to stretch my legs again," she said with a wide smile, cracking her knuckles. "Plus, that means I get to eat some of this delicious meal I was making for you."

Fox's nose twitched again at the rather… peculiar aroma wafting out of her pan. He took a step up alongside her, looking down at the rather unappetizing looking mass of bubbling green and orange that she was cooking. He didn't want to judge too quickly though. It had to taste better than it looked. And smelled. "We head out early tomorrow morning, so let's get to bed early after eating your… stew?" the vulpine guessed, taking his best estimate at what the substance bubbling on the heat was. The vixen's head fell forward, her shoulders slumping as she let out a defeated sigh.

"It… was supposed to be a casserole," she admitted, shaking her head in resignation. The vixen looked back up at Fox, her expression renewed with hope. "Could you make us some of your famous pancakes instead?" The tod rolled his eyes, but there was no way he could say no to this blue fox. He spun on his heel, hearing her yip with delight when he began pulling the flour and other ingredients from their cupboard. Fox paused momentarily though, looking over his shoulder at Krystal's eager figure. "I'll only make them if you tell me something," he said, seeing her cock her head to the side in curiosity. "What were you singing before?"

Fox realized he must have struck a chord within the vixen, because she instantly clammed up, her ears going crimson red. Krystal was always armed with a comeback or clever response, so seeing her flustered was a new experience for the vulpine. She clenched her jaw as she struggled for words. Fox couldn't help but feel a crooked grin spread across his lips. He'd never realized how adorable she looked when she was caught off guard.

"O-oh, you know…" she trailed off, trying to wave away the question and avert her gaze to the floor, "just some old song my mother used to sing back on Cerinia. I'll… I'll tell you about it more some other day," she managed finally, giving him a promising, somewhat shaky grin. Fox didn't push the issue any further. He knew that her destroyed homeworld was a sensitive topic. She would open up whenever she was ready, and he could wait patiently until then. He nodded, flashing a toothy smile to let her know that he understood.

The rest of the night passed in a flurry of wonder and companionship, as the two foxes ate their food together in the lounge, splayed out on the creaky couch in the middle of the room. Fox lost himself in her coy voice, her jubilant, melodic laugh, and her willful, burning eyes. Despite the butterflies in his stomach, nothing made him happier than being with Krystal. And now, he'd get to spend an entire week alongside her.

He couldn't wait to begin.

/

A/N: Hey guys, me again! This is the big one I've been hinting at for a while! I've been working together with a couple other people on this one, and I'm excited to say that the first chapter is finally ready to be published. I was commissioned by our very own Renarii to write a story that would go alongside a series of illustrations done by ABlueDeer, and this is the end result! There will be more chapters as time goes on, and more pictures as well :) You can see the picture that goes along with this story as the cover art for this story, and also by visiting Renarii's page over on FurAffinity, and seeing the full thing there.

But yeah, I hope you guys are as excited for this as I am! This has been a long time in the making, and I'm super proud of the end result. I can't wait to keep working on it and show you guys how the rest of it will turn out! You're in for a wild ride :D But as always, stay tuned for more down the road! Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

_Thumpa-thump. Thumpa-thump._

Krystal knew that she shouldn't feel her heart pounding in her chest, each pulse right on the heels of the last, firing off at such a rapid pace that they almost overlapped. She knew that her stomach shouldn't feel like a dynamo pushed to capacity, ready to detonate in an explosion of pure energy. But walking the winding paths of a Corneria City park with him, huddled side by side, their synchronized footfalls served as an audible reminder of the volleys of electricity that pinged back and forth between them. The soft tap of her shoes and the louder click of his boots on the charred red brick mixed with the birdsong rushing through the treetops above to form a song that was ambrosia for her ears.

Since the very first time they'd been in the same room, being around the tod seemed to have a revitalizing, accelerating effect on her. Her blood heated and quickened, her fur stood on end, her eyes couldn't stop themselves from sneaking furtive glances in his direction. At first, she'd wanted to believe that it was just a passing fascination. Krystal was a driven, focused person, and she knew what she wanted, what she needed, what was right and what was wrong. But then, she'd turned on a dime and found herself making any excuse possible to stay near Fox, saying her ship needed repairs after the Saurian crisis, or that she "happened" to be going to the same place the Great Fox was heading. What the vixen hadn't realized was that these weren't simple distractions from her greater goal. Somewhere along the line, Fox _had_ become her reason for being. Something primal inside of her commanded the vixen to spend every second she could with him. Nothing else had ever come close to making her as happy as she was now, with the tod at her side.

That instinctual voice buried in the recesses of her heart and mind weren't satiated any longer just by his presence, however. She yearned for more and more every day. That was why, even now, as she walked alongside him with flushed cheeks and a burning contentment in her core, it wasn't enough. Krystal wanted — no, _needed_ , to show Fox exactly how intensely her feelings for him roared. Every little thing contributed to her overwhelming thirst. She couldn't press her lips up rough against his in a kiss so profound that it would shatter the universe itself. The vixen couldn't pin him up against the nearest tree, and with a rumbling growl, give into her every animal instinct and demonstrate how much Fox meant to her. She couldn't even take his hand in hers, and at least have the comfort of her hero's fingers intertwined with her own.

Krystal looked down at that thought, smiling a little when she saw his hand at his side, still somehow not jammed into his pocket for warmth despite the bitter Cornerian winter. He'd told her that there was a planet in the system made completely of ice and snow, but she honestly couldn't believe such a horrendous place could exist in Lylat. But even though that mythical iceball that fully deserved to be launched into the sun, Krystal knew she would still follow Fox to it.

 _But would Fox do the same for you?_

The derisive question bubbled to the top of her thoughts without her permission or desire, making her tail sway with just a little less enthusiasm. The vixen shook her head to clear it, tamping down that fear before it could take over. She believed that Fox would follow her anywhere just as readily. More than belief, Krystal knew it to be true. But then, why were they still stuck in this phase? When it was so clear that there was something one-of-a-kind between them, why couldn't they take the leap into a lifetime of happiness as mates? Again though, Krystal knew the answers before she was even done asking the question.

Anytime that things seemed to be hurtling towards that inevitable conclusion that they would be together, whenever the sentence that was their bond seemed to on the cusp of the exclamation point that would carry them into their sacred admission, Krystal would always feel something pool in Fox's mind that would stop them in their tracks. It was a small but potent well of fear. The vixen would sense it in his mind whenever they were moments from snapping and taking each other as their own, and in an instant, it would all dissolve. The worst part was that she didn't even know where the fear originated from. It might've been from the fact that he didn't want to fall in love with somebody on his team, and risk compromising the reputation he'd carved out for Star Fox. Maybe he was just afraid to let himself grow close to anyone again. He'd already lost so many people in his life, as she'd learned one teary and dark evening alone together in his room, a night where they'd held each other in their arms all night not out of passion, but compassion. Perhaps his fear was an innate terror of experiencing that loss all over again. But then, there was always that one possibility that still made her nauseous whenever it shoved its way to the top of her thoughts.

 _What if he just doesn't love you back?_

It was a sickening idea, one that even now made her squeeze her eyes shut and dig her nails into her palms. Krystal didn't believe it. She couldn't believe it. There was nothing that Krystal was more certain about than the fact that they… they loved each other. With every fiber of her being, every cell from the tips of her eagerly flicking ears to her excitedly curling toes was filled to the brim with overwhelming devotion towards the orange fox that walked next to her. She saw it in him too, not just in his mind, but in the little cues that he thought she didn't notice. The way that his breath would hitch whenever she spoke, the way he always seemed to stand a little taller and glow a little brighter whenever she walked in the room, everything he tried to hide from her, but just couldn't inhibit gave it away.

Fox loved her, but he was scared to love her.

Krystal knew it had to be true. It was the only explanation for how they could've reached the cusp so many times only to falter at the last second. If only she could find the seed of his doubt and quell it, they could finally be happy together, for the rest of their days. But how could she even start? After all, it wasn't like she could waltz up to the tod and just force it out of him, the pressure would make his poor head explode. And despite her best efforts, her telepathy just wasn't strong enough yet to discern why he felt his alarm, only that it was there. But... maybe someday, she would figure it out. Maybe someday, she could break free of their restraints and fall into his arms once and for all. Someday.

"Corneria to Krystal," the vixen suddenly heard next to her, making her blink a few times in confusion when a single orange finger came up to tap her playfully on the nose. She glanced over to seek out the source, and smiled when she saw Fox staring back at her with that knee-shakingly adorable, goofy grin on his lips. "Are you working out firing solutions in your head or something? You were pretty zoned out there for a couple minutes," he said in a calm yet warm voice that carried hints of the care and concern that always seemed to lace his words.

"Maybe I was," she replied nonchalantly, clamping down on the voice in her head that screamed at her to be honest about what she'd just been thinking about. The vixen ignored that impulse however, shuffling away her musings about their potential relationship for another time, another day. Someday. "After all, one of us has the be the brains of this operation," she teased, throwing him a smoldering look over her shoulder that nearly made him stumble while he was walking. He recovered quickly and opened his mouth to respond, but still couldn't conceal the blush burning in his ears that exposed his true feelings.

"Since when did we make you the brains of this mission?" he asked skeptically, arching one eyebrow at her as his tail beat a little faster behind him in excitement.

"Since right now," she stated matter of factly, shrugging her shoulder sympathetically. "We've also made me the muscle too, since I'm pretty sure I could take you in a fight."

Fox rolled his eyes, but chuckled nonetheless, his emerald irises beaming with delight. All of her friends had told the vixen that he never used to be this happy. Supposedly his disposition had changed overnight once they'd met, but Krystal found it impossible to imagine her Foxy as sad and somber, as anything other than the mischievous, orange goofball that he always was. "So then, why am I on this mission again?" he asked, glancing at her expectantly.

Maybe it was the sublime, romantic atmosphere of the park at twilight, or maybe it was the fact that she'd spent the last hour pondering their relationship, but before Krystal could think twice, she sent back a volley that made him blush a deep shade of crimson red. "Because, I needed somebody handsome to look at while I do all the hard work."

Fox tried to play the remark off cool and collected, but he wasn't fooling anyone, least of all the vixen. She had to suppress a giggle when his bushy tail fluffed and stiffened behind him, and his arms locked rigidly at his sides. In his mind, Krystal could feel a maelstrom brewing, the perfect storm of desire, anxiousness, and glee. The blue fox loved being wrapped up in all these luminous sensations radiating outwards from Fox's fiery crucible of a mind. But then, she shouldn't have underestimated the tod, and his ability to go toe to toe with her. Of course, his greatest weapon wasn't cunning, as hers was. Fox's most alluring, endearing trait was his earnesty.

"Nobody would even see me, out of the two of us," he murmured with a thin layer of calm papered over a much greater shyness. "After all, my eyes would be all on you," he finished quietly. Krystal nearly slammed to a halt when the words hit her ears. Her chest constricted, and her eyes were fixed straight on the dashing, wonderful vulpine, even though he wasn't returning her stare. It was these little comments, these subtle actions that ensured Krystal knew what was really in his heart. Even if there was worry that tinged it, beneath the surface lay Fox's golden heart that she was so completely and irrevocably head over heels for. Nobody had ever made her feel like Fox did, and she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that nobody else ever would.

The vixen opened her mouth to respond, but found the words trapped on her tongue, her heartbeat too frantic and her thoughts too dizzy to continue their little game. Fox chuckled a little when he witnessed the fluster written all over her expression. His beaming smile and protective presence did little to ease the stress her mind was under, but somehow, it still managed to warm her heart, and increase that magnetic pull she constantly felt in his direction. Thankfully, the tod broke the silence himself, saving her from continuing to stammer and blush endlessly.

"We're at the meeting place," he stated firmly, adopting the professional tone she'd gotten so used to hearing whenever they were in a mission briefing or meeting with the military. It always left an impression on the vixen, hearing his voice morph from the soft and comforting tone he always adopted around her to the solid and serious inflection he took when it came to anything involving Star Fox. "It should be the person sitting on that bench," he said, pointing towards a lone figure reclined on a seat in a poorly-lit corner of the brick plaza. Fox began to stride confidently towards them, his arms splayed subtly to the side so the figure on the bench could see he was unarmed. Krystal followed suit, staying a pace behind and beside him. The stranger on the bench looked a little tense, their figure hunched over just a bit, and their hidden face shifting from side to side, but once they landed on the vulpine, their posture seemed to relax.

"McCloud, it's about time you showed up," a female voice said, relieved, settling back into the bench. "You kept me waiting out here in the cold. Is that any way to treat an old friend?" Fox shrugged without breaking his upright posture.

"It's a beautiful evening, Junie. Can you blame us for taking the scenic route?" Fox inquired, crossing his arms and coming to a stop.

"It's not a beautiful evening, it's a freezing cold night in the middle of winter," she muttered, "and I thought you were coming alone. Who's your shadow?" the hooded female asked suspiciously as she gestured towards the vixen. Fox stepped to the side, ready to do introductions.

"Junie, this is Krystal, the newest member of our team. She's helping me out on this mission," Fox finished, now turning towards the vixen. "Krys, this is Juniper, one of the undercover informants we source our info from."

The female pulled back her hood, unshrouding herself to reveal the red plumage and muted yellow beak of an avian. Junie relaxed when she heard the vixen's name, but only slightly. Krystal got the impression that she was a relatively high strung person, not that it was odd, considering what she did for a living. "Ahh, now there's a name I recognize. I've heard _all_ about you," Junie stated in an impish voice, smirking. Krystal arched an eyebrow in response, curious.

"Heard about me because of your contacts, I assume?" Krystal asked, still remaining cautiously neutral and guarded. The avian snickered, throwing a knowing glance towards Fox, who was turning just a little pink under his snowy cheeks. Krystal couldn't suppress her tail wiggling excitedly behind her as she began to get the full picture. It seemed as though Foxy had mentioned her once or twice in the past.

"You could say that," Junie shrugged, sitting back in her seat while still keeping her back rigid and upright. "Don't worry, any friend of Fox's is a friend of mine. And I know how much of a friend you are to him," she finished, grinning as she got one last jab in at the tod. He rolled his eyes, masking his embarrassment under his spartan demeanor. But Krystal could still see through it, down to that beautifully shy heart that shone through in everything he did. "Those military numbskulls staring blankly at their screens up in their magic tower don't know a tenth of the stuff I do," she said, jerking her thumb to point back towards her chest and bringing the blue fox back to reality. "But of course, that information comes at a price…" she finished leadingly, casting an expectant glance towards the vulpine. He shook his head, tapping a few times on his communicator. A second later, Junie's screen lit up, but she frowned when she looked down at it.

"I appreciate that you're a long time customer McCloud, but even you can't get away with only paying half my fee," she said, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Half now, half when you've convinced me you actually know what you're talking about," he stated simply, taking a seat on the bench and patting the space next to him a few times, gesturing for Krystal to sit next to him. She smirked, seeing the normally reserved vulpine acting so confident and assertive, but she certainly didn't object. With a few sways of her hips, the vixen took her spot at his side, feeling her tail bat against his behind the bench. On an impulse, she decided to take it a bit further, wrapping her tail around his, feeling the voluminous fluff of their two appendages intertwine as they curled together for warmth. Krystal's lips flickered with a smile when she felt his body heat up next to her in excitement, but he didn't break the authoritative air he was radiating.

Something about seeing him exude such an experienced and proficient demeanor drove the vixen absolutely nuts, her fingers and palms clenching in thrill against the frozen wood she was seated on. On one hand, it made her heart skip a beat knowing that within those strong arms and artist's hands was the muscle memory of a warrior and the best pilot in the galaxy, and that that same touch could be just as gentle towards her as it was vengeful against their adversaries. On the other hand, she was having to inhibit every natural reaction she had burning in her core that saw his composure as a challenge, a dare to break it and see that blushy, sheepish soul underneath it. Try as she might to block those compulsions while business was being done, their tails holding each other just out of sight was evidence that her willpower wasn't perfect. Not that she minded, sidling up just a touch closer to the tod.

Junie sighed, stomping over and plopping down on the opposite bench just a few feet away. "Fine. You're too much of a goody-two-shoes to screw me out of credits anyway," she griped, rubbing her hands together for a little heat. "I assume the army jocks have already told you that a stealthed transport went off the radar on the seas of Aquas not too long ago," she began, seeing Fox nod his head once in confirmation. "They suspect foul play, since the ship was carrying some pretty valuable tech. It was really one-of-a-kind stuff. Unfortunately for Corneria, it looks like the ship sailed for quite a while after it went offline, because neither the vessel nor its wreckage was anywhere to be seen when they sent recovery teams after it. It seems it just… vanished," she said with a hint of sarcasm. Junie fished around in her pocket for a moment, eventually pulling out a dull, black datastick. She twirled it idly between her fingers while Fox sat back, arms crossed.

"Well, when something disappears, you're usually pretty good and scrounging it back up," Fox said, eyeing up the drive that the bird was holding. The vulpine reached out to grab the object from her, but Junie flicked it back at the last moment, leaving him empty handed. She let out a series of tuts, closing her palm around the stick protectively.

"You get actual location of the ship once I get my _full_ pay, McCloud. And you'd better offer me an apology while you're at it, for treating me like some second rate tattle-tale," she suggested, moving the data towards her pocket with dramatic slowness. Fox shook his head, his eyes falling to the ground in resignation.

Fox tapped on the screen of his comm unit a couple more times, eventually saying, "I apologize for impugning your reputation, Junie. There's the rest of your credits, plus a little extra for not releasing whatever blackmail I'm sure you have on Falco." The avian verified that the transaction had gone through before smiling pleasantly back up at the pair. "Is there anything else you need to drag out of me before giving me the coordinates?" Fox asked, returning her lopsided grin.

"One more thing," Junie said simply, rising to her feet and smoothing out the creases in her jacket. She flicked the datastick towards the vulpine, sending it spinning through the air a couple times before it landed in his sure grasp. Krystal looked back up to see a genuine look of friendship on the avian's face, something that she hadn't expected to see in a meeting that was supposed to be strictly business. But the vixen knew better than anyone that more people cared about Fox than he ever realized. It seemed as though she could add Junie to those ranks now too. "Be careful on this one," she said, just a hint of concern tinging her voice. "Even I can't get more than a couple details on this heist, and you know that's saying something. Just… stay on your toes. Be ready for anything, okay?" Junie asked, looking him square in the eye as she said it.

"I promise. And besides," he said, now shifting his vision over towards Krystal. Goddesses, it didn't matter how many times she saw them, she would never cease to lose herself in his endlessly verdant irises, his pupils that were the seat of such a fiercely bright soul. "I've got Krystal to watch my back," he finished, mumbling it out a little quieter than everything else he'd said, slipping out of his professional mask and into that intimate, quiet vulpine that she was head over heels in love with. She held his gaze for what felt like hours, maybe days. Behind them, their tails coiled together just a little more tightly, holding onto the person they each knew meant everything.

Unfortunately, their shared reverie was broken by Junie's long, exasperated groan. The pair realized that they had been leaning in closer and closer to each other, to the point where their bodies were pressed up together, and their soft breaths were stirring the fur on each other's muzzles. They pulled apart awkwardly only a second later, the chill of the night cooling the passion that had been reverberating quicker and quicker between their eager bodies. They looked away from each other furtively, instead focusing their wide eyes on the avian who was clearly painfully aware of what had just transpired.

"Go take her out for a nice dinner, you moron," she commanded Fox, rolling her eyes in a wide, impatient arc. Her feet followed suit, spinning on her heel and strutting off, leaving the two foxes in her wake as a blushing, clammed up tangle of orange and blue fur. Junie waved over her shoulder nonchalantly, calling back to them after looking both ways to make sure she wasn't being followed. "Ta ta."

Their hooded colleague quickly faded into the dark of twilight, but the damage had already been done. Neither fox noticed her disappearance, as the entirety of their beings were absorbed in an effort to make themselves, and subsequently their broiling mortification, evaporate into the chilly night. Krystal could feel a furnace simmering under her throat and chest, blazing back into a raging inferno at only the smallest spark and the lightest tinder. She wanted to kick herself in these moments, where she'd caught herself doing something stupid like staring at Fox, losing herself in just how miraculous he was. Krystal never seemed to be able to figure out when this was happening in the heat of the moment - she was always too wrapped up in him to even acknowledge anything outside of their orbit. Only in the aftermath, once something had broken the spell, could Krystal even figure out that she'd been enchanted in the first place.

Despite all of this, Krystal knew deep in her heart that the answer wasn't to stop herself from falling into these vulnerable, ecstatic shared moments of enrapturement with the tod. The true answer that she still struggled against and still resisted was that she wanted with all of her heart to fall under his spell one day, and never have to break it again for the rest of their days. At her core, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that their fundamental connection wasn't a temptation to resist. It was a gift that they should cherish and spend every day celebrating. That she would spend every waking moment as in awe of as she was of the handsome vulpine at her side.

And yet, her utter embarrassment was proof that this truth hadn't quite reached every part of her brain yet. It seemed like there were a million reasons that she shouldn't open her heart to Fox about all these emotions churning like a hurricane, like an angry swarm of bees inside her head. Krystal knew that all of them were just thinly veiled excuses for something deeper, however. She was scared. Scared of him saying no, scared of him abandoning her, but also scared that he would say yes, that their bond was too intense to stand the test of time, that she couldn't be good enough to somebody so gentle and sweet.

There was something that Krystal knew for sure, though. She knew that she was his closest companion. Without ever setting foot in the territory of a romantic relationship, the two foxes had managed to forge something that transcended just being "best friends". They trusted each other on every level, on the battlefield, during difficult decisions, with their tragic histories. When they were together, even total strangers would remark on how they seemed to always move in unison, like their steps and bodies were choreographed ahead of time. She had never felt this important to somebody before, and knew in her core that nobody for the rest of her life would be as important to her as Fox McCloud. If he asked her to do anything, anything at all, Krystal would drop anything and everything to accomplish it.

And, as it turned out, Fox was about to put that last thought to the test.

"Well… how about it?" Krystal heard next to her, quietly, hesitantly. The vixen looked up at his words, her blush still spread over her face, his voice reverberating and bouncing off the corners of her mind until it felt like there was nothing in her head except the warm sound of the vulpine. Her mouth was open just a little in surprise, her eyes wide as they connected with his earnest jade irises. She saw sheepishness and care behind them, that much she was used to witnessing there, and she found it simultaneously comforting, alluring, and energizing. It was her Foxy that she saw there, that granted her peace amidst the chaos of Lylat. However, she saw something new hiding in his expression this time. Something that made her embarrassment vanish in a flash of wonder. Something that let her know that everything was about to change.

It was recklessness. Impulsiveness. Fox wanted something that was just within his reach, and he was going to leap for it. Krystal's breath caught in her throat as it felt like the world was exploding into bursts of color and emotion around her. Her wait was over. What had once been only one more day away, what had seemed inevitable but always just over the horizon had finally arrived. There were a million reasons for them to delay this, but they all paled in comparison to the one reason that they should: deep down, they knew they were madly, head over heels in love. And one of them was finally going to act on it, damn the consequences.

"W-What do you mean?" Krystal squeaked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Fox let out an amused breath, turning in his seat to look her in the eye. Every emotion that she had grown used to seeing on his face, his confidence, his sheepishness, his care, felt like they were amplified a million-fold. The vixen still struggled to catch her fluttering breath, but she couldn't help but smile back into his radiant eyes. She'd never seen him look so sure of anything in his life. "I mean… how about you and I, the both of us… get… dinner. On a- a date?" he managed to say, his confident voice wavering the tiniest bit on the last word.

Krystal couldn't believe her ears. The day that she'd fantasized about for months, years, was finally here. Suddenly, the night wasn't frigid and chilly. Her skin tingled and her heart felt like it could burst out of her chest with utter euphoria. She was sure that she had a giant, full grin on her face, and that she was doing a terrible job of hiding her true feelings, but… who cared anymore? She didn't want to hide herself from Fox anymore. Krystal wanted him to know just how extensive the truth really was.

Without thinking, while letting herself run on nothing but pure instinct, she scooted in closer to him on the bench, until their noses were only a millimeter apart. Krystal leaned in before he could react, planting a short, small kiss on his cheek. She pulled back once she was done, and giggled at the goofy, sideways smile that he was giving her. This was going to be the start of something earth-shaking.

"I thought you'd never ask, Foxy."

/

 _Did I actually ask her to do this?_

Despite the courageous and bold look that he had managed to staple to his face, and even though he was managing to keep a warm conversation going with the vixen as they were walking through the brisk night, most of Fox's consciousness was consumed with a constant ringing noise in his ears, not unlike as if somebody had detonated an explosive right next to his head. Which, now that he thought about it, wasn't too far off from the truth.

 _Dinner? A date? What the hell was I thinking?! Dammit, Junie!_

Fox knew that this wasn't on Junie though. This was all him. He's the one who had pulled the trigger, he had given into a whim impulse and let those feelings that he'd vowed to keep locked up loose. While he'd been signing and stamping the paperwork that assigned Krystal to this mission, he'd made himself swear, over and over and over again, that he wouldn't let his emotions get the better of him. Fox knew how to run a professional, seamless operation, and no matter how mind-meltingly stunning the vixen in question was, he'd convinced himself that he could keep it in his pants for just a few days. Of course, he'd been wrong about that, hadn't he? Fox hadn't even lasted an hour and he'd already fallen flat on his face. But what he knew deep down…

Was that he didn't feel even a pinch of regret.

If he was grinning a hearty, content smile at her, that smile was genuine and earnest. If he was laughing at her jokes, that laughter was real. He didn't really believe any of this remorse or self-flagellation down in his heart. It was only passing through his head because he thought it how he was supposed to feel. But if Fox was being honest with himself, he knew it was all phony. He never felt this happy, this free before. Fire lapped under his skin, and electricity arced across his fur. That ringing he heard in his ears wasn't regret, as much as his rational brain wanted to pretend. It was joy.

The two foxes rounded the corner of the sidewalk they were strolling down, and Fox spotted their destination: a small restaurant tucked away on one of the less crowded streets of Corneria City. It was an understated storefront, with a muted canopy hanging over the door painted in pastel reds and greens. There was a single plate window looking into the cozy restaurant, with the name _The Wheatstalk_ calligraphed in swirling letters on the glass. Warm orange light filtered out into the night, basking the sidewalk in a glow of shifting fire. Sleek lamps illuminated the pitch black night with a flood of brilliant white light, each one like a spotlight putting the two foxes walking side by side center stage, in the first act of the rest of their lives.

Fox risked a glance over at the blue fox next to him, still feeling jubilance bubbling in his stomach. There, he saw the woman of his dreams looking up at him with the most amazing gleam in her eye. Although they were walking apart from each other, it felt like his entire field of view was taken up by her graceful face, like a starry sky radiating with the heightened luminosity of the full moon. The careful, electric feel of her lips had left a permanent imprint on his cheek, and it took every ounce of his willpower not to lift his fingers up and brush against the spot she had given him that sweet, unanticipated peck. Of course, it wasn't the real deal quite yet, but maybe one day…

Fox stopped himself, shaking his head ever so slightly to clear it. A date didn't mean that they were hitched together for the rest of time. A date was just dinner, and he'd eaten dinner with Krystal a thousand times before. They had a mission to accomplish, and while they could have a little fun together while they were off the clock, the vulpine couldn't let a lone meal derail Star Fox. He took a quick breath, before looking over at Krystal again, his eyes softening as soon as she entered his sight. He could say as many things as he wanted, but it could never change his instinctive reactions to being close to her.

"This is the place," Fox said, pulling open the glass door for the vixen. She looked around as she stepped through, taking in the environment, from the low flicker of the candles to the delicious, mellow scents wafting forward from the kitchen. Fox's eyelids fluttered for just a moment as her delicate perfume hit his nose, floral and invigorating. She let her hand linger over his as she passed through the doorway, and cast an impish grin over her shoulder when an involuntary shudder of pleasure pulsed down his spine, making his tail curl. Even just the fleeting moment of contact was enough to get his heart pumping, his mind racing in the most fantastically incoherent way. Precious memories of all the times they had teased and taunted each other bubbled to the surface of his thoughts. Krystal had just started up a new round of their usual game, but now, the stakes seemed higher, the consequences more real. However, that wasn't about to stop Fox from participating with his usual vigor and competitive spirit.

If Krystal had set him off balance by just brushing against his hand, then he knew it wouldn't take much more to send her reeling. Just as the vixen had walked up to the hostess waiting to seat them, Fox smirked and stepped next to her, sneaking his hand into hers and intertwining their fingers together. Fox had to suppress a chuckle when he heard the blue fox make a quiet noise of surprise next to him, feeling her fingers turn to stone in his grip. "Good to see you again, Miss Aldini," Fox said confidently, in stark contrast to the vixen that was shutting down next to him.

 _Checkmate._

"Wonderful of you to drop by, Mister McCloud," the older panda said, beaming at her favorite customer and his guest. "And who is this lovely woman you've brought with you?" she asked, gesturing towards the vixen, still awash in unexpected embarrassment. Fox looked over at her innocently, batting his eyelashes and squeezing her hand at the same time, his smile only growing when she was unable to react or respond.

"Ah, uhm… K-Krystal," she finally managed to force out, making Fox wince when she squeezed his hand nearly hard enough to crack bone. The panda's eyes lit up when she heard her name, somehow seeming even more enthusiastic than she had before.

"It's very nice to meet you," she said, bowing her head ever so slightly. When she rose back up, she grabbed a few menus from behind her booth and sidled out into the rest of the restaurant, beckoning for the two foxes to follow her. Fox kept on stride behind her, chuckling when her brain finally manage to restart and process her hand in his. It was incredible, how even the tiniest, most minute of gestures and movements could move mountains in the other's world. Even just a held hand, a minuscule act that nobody else in Lylat would bat an eye at, could fundamentally rock him and Krystal. That much became obvious one more time when the vixen volleyed off her return fire, one last assault on his composure before they were seated. As the two walked side by side towards the table, Krystal's face quickly rebounded from shock into that devilish expression that he knew all too well.

With the casualness and grace of a dancer, she took his hand that was already entwined in hers, and before he could object or pull back, and nonchalantly draped it around the small of her back, resting his quickly stiffening hand on the gracious curve of her hips. Fox felt the warmth of her body spread through his palm, and instantly sank into how naturally this intimate contact felt, how perfectly the lines of their bodies melded together. But, of course, the idea of a room full of people all witnessing his hand within grabbing distance of Krystal's admittedly jaw-dropping rear proved too much. His body seized up like a motor without oil, and the only reason Fox's hand didn't immediately retreat from its compromising position was because Krystal's own grip had him fastened to her side like a button.

The vulpine was only returned his freedom when the blue fox finally dropped his hand from hers, and he removed it with extra care shown in order to assure his hand didn't accidentally trail across her backside. Fox could only chuckle when he saw the vixen toss a smoldering, sarcastically seductive look over her shoulder, with one eyebrow raised as if she was challenging him to try and one up her now. With an imperceptible headshake, the tod admitted defeat. He rolled his eyes as he basked in her victorious glow, sitting down across the table from her as the hostess set their menus down across from each other.

"Take all the time you need, sweethearts, and I'll be back in a few," Miss Aldini said, thankfully unaware of what had transpired right behind her. The same couldn't be said of a few couples around them who were glancing over in their direction and laughing quietly to themselves. Fox blushed, but it wasn't enough to siphon the smile off his lips.

"S-sure thing. Thank you," Fox said, fumbling with his menu and beginning to scan across it. The diminutive panda waddled away after that, heading back into the kitchen through a pair of squeaky swinging doors. The vulpine took a deep breath, calming himself down once the hostess was out of view. He looked up after a minute, catching eyes with the vixen that was seated across from him. If history was any indication, she should have been looking at him triumphantly, as if she was preparing to claim her prize for winning another round of their game. However, when Fox glanced up, he saw something entirely different in her eyes. She looked… happy. He could see a lightness in her cerulean irises, and he could see small crinkles in the fur by her eyes. She always carried herself with such precision and dignity, that Fox often thought she looked like the figure of an old painting, meticulously modeled and sculpted after months and years of continual thought. However, what made her look so happy in this moment was that all of that pretense and planning seemed to have evaporated. The normally tense muscles in her shoulders had slackened, and her the cords in her arms that always seemed to vibrate with anticipation were relaxed.

Krystal wasn't looking away or even trying to pretend like she was interested in anything other than him, and she held his gaze unabashedly with her eyes that were more wonderful than any star he'd even orbited, than any landscape he'd ever set foot in. His first instinct was to glance away, to break that connection and try to hide his feelings from her because his feelings were dangerous. But… then he realized that, maybe just for this one day, this one date that still seemed like a miracle to the vulpine, he could set all that to the side. Maybe he could just stop pretending that getting to sit at a romantic dinner with Krystal and stare into those eyes that he'd fallen for the very first time he'd seen them on Sauria wasn't exactly what he'd dreamed of doing for years. Imperceptibly, Fox felt his own muscles loosen. His fears began to fade. He didn't stop himself from sinking into the labyrinth of Krystal's eyes, getting lost and only sliding further into her soul the more he wandered.

Fox felt like he was experiencing her thoughts in unison with his own, as if their minds were overlapping. Maybe it had something to do with Krystal's telepathy, but something told him this was entirely unrelated to her powers. He could feel and see the clear line between them, and yet couldn't shake the feeling as he traced the small, beautiful dark blue lines in her irises that they were both having the exact same thoughts and emotions. It was mesmerizing. Fox couldn't believe this was what they had been avoiding tumbling into for all these years. Every day since they had met, somehow, he had resisted this addictive sensation. The vulpine knew that he'd never be able to go back now.

Their reveries were broken when the hostess set a steaming tray of food down between the two foxes. They both blinked lethargically, slowly, as if they were being dragged back to reality out from under a mile of ocean. Fox finally managed to tear his eyes off Krystal in order to size up the dish that Miss Aldini had brought them. It was his favorite meal here, a plate of their spinach lasagna, but he had absolutely no recollection of having actually ordered it.

 _...Was I so wrapped up staring that I ordered without even realizing it?_

Fortunately, the panda provided a less troubling explanation, saying, "Sorry Mister McCloud, but I didn't want to disturb you two. Your usual is fine, yes?" Fox nodded a second later, laughing and shaking his head.

"Absolutely, thanks. Sorry about that, Miss Aldini. I appreciate it," he said earnestly, already picking up his fork and getting ready to dig in.

"Excellent. Let me know if either of you need anything else. And… it warms my heart to see you happy again, Fox. I wish you two the best," she said respectfully, backing away and returning to her booth up in the entrance of the restaurant. When the tod turned back around, he saw Krystal sitting, still looking contemplative, but no longer hypnotized as they'd both been for what must have been almost half an hour, but really only felt like mere seconds. The vixen looked like she wanted to say something, and sure enough, as she picked up her utensils and began to carve off her first bite, she opened her lips to speak.

"Did you… really not used to be happy, Fox?" she questioned, keeping her voice low to avoid disturbing the magical atmosphere of the dim orange lights and the light piano overture. There was a hint of concern in her face, but Fox didn't think she was worried so much as curious. Every clue she had gleaned about the vulpine from the very first day they had met indicated that he was always as upbeat and positive as she was. And yet, this was already the second person today that had commented on how much more pleasant he seemed today compared to years past. Fox looked to one side, a little wistfulness written on his face as old memories were dredged up of a darker point in his life.

Fox finished chewing the bite he'd taken and swallowed, relishing in the bright taste of the sauce and richness in the vegetables. When he thought about it, even this meal tasted better, more vibrant than it once had. "I guess so," he started, spinning the tines of his fork through the cream and leaving behind small concentric circles. "I didn't really notice it at the time, but looking back, the world used to seem a lot darker and more twisted than it does today. My parents had died, and I was bent on revenge. It was the entire point of my existence. Living with that kind of mentality can change you." Fox shrugged, looking back up with a small smile just for the vixen. "But that was in the past. These days, well… I think everything's going to be just fine," he said, throwing her a wink and a sideways grin.

Krystal let out a content hum, partially from the first bite of food she'd placed on her tongue and partially because of the comfort she took from the vulpine's response. "It's just so difficult to picture you any other way than this, Fox. Everybody saying you used to be so grave and distant, it seems impossible. Just imagining it makes me feel cold," she said, her ear fluttering. But then, she looked up, one fang biting her lower lip nervously. "What… what changed?" Krystal asked quietly.

Fox chuckled quietly, revealing his toothy smile even as his eyes were fixed on his clasped hands resting on the table in front of him. He saw Krystal's fingers slide up next to them, and didn't flinch when they came to cradle his. They felt nice. It felt natural. "We both know the answer to that question," he stated simply, not trying to hide the truth evident in how cosmically correct their bound hands felt. "Krystal… you changed _everything_ ," he asserted, looking her straight in the eye and abandoning any hint of playfulness or sarcasm. He needed her to understand that he was deathly serious about this, in every sense of the word. "I'm a better person, because you pushed me to remember that I could be," he said, the corners of his mouth lifting at the caring, protective… loving, emotion that Krystal was showering him with through her limpid eyes.

The vixen looked away after a long minute spent scouring every inch of his face, gleaning each detail about the vulpine in a way that only she could. Krystal sighed, her ears wilting at the corners. "What are we doing, Fox?" she murmured, her voice sounding distant. It even held a hint of longing that made the tod blink once in surprise. Fox wasn't used to hearing Krystal longing for anything. When Krystal wanted something, she generally reached out and took it. It was no use playing dumb though, it was achingly apparent what the vixen was talking about. The tod started tracing lines between her knuckles and on the reverse of her palm idly as he thought. Fox recalled each of the extra tattoos she said that she would get later in life, and he drew the small teardrop design that would someday adorn her artistic hands.

"I don't know," he admitted, dropping his mental shield to the floor too. The vulpine shook his head, the corners of his lips turning down. "Enjoying something that I know I'm not allowed to," he breathed, the air in his lungs heavy with resignation. He squeezed her hands, enjoying the feeling of their simultaneous strength and softness. Something about it just looked fundamentally correct. Right. Seeing their orange and blue fur intertwined, their white markings blending so that you couldn't tell where he ended and she began… it was how he always felt with Krystal. As the years went by, the line in the sand that separated the two of them had been eroded away until it was all but invisible now.

Krystal let out a low laugh at that, equal parts happy and sad. She hummed once in silent agreement, before eventually saying, "I can't even remember how long I've felt this way. Wanted… this," she said gesturing with a subtle nod to their surroundings. A little glimmer in her eye brought a smile back to his lips. "You know, traditionally on… on Cerinia," she managed, the name of her destroyed homeworld still choked in her throat after all these years. Fox squeezed her hands in sympathy and support, earning a grateful smile from the vixen that he relished. "Traditionally, Cerinian courting involves a special ritual, assuming the first date goes well."

Fox arched one eyebrow at the blue fox, intrigued. He leaned further over the table, and even though he didn't know what she was talking about yet, he still found his tail fanning excitedly behind himself. The somber contemplation if the previous moment gave way to new, exciting possibilities with the vixen. "Oh? So you're admitting that this date went well?" Fox smirked, finally dropping her hands so that he could fish the credit chip out of his pocket and pay the bill.

Krystal rolled her eyes, standing up on her feet and smooth the wrinkles in her jeans. "I never said that I thought we should try the ritual…" she trailed off, smirking as she turned on her heel and began to stride out the door.

"W-wait up," Fox stammered, tripping as he pushed himself out of his chair and tried to catch up with the vixen. Fox caught up to Krystal to see her giving a polite thank you to Miss Aldini. They were both already laughing, the panda glowing with warmth. Krystal had that effect on people. He stopped at the waiting room entrance, watching the vixen with contentedness in his heart. Even if she had lost everything, even if she had a better reason than anyone to think the universe was cruel and unforgiving, she always seemed to be able to create joy wherever she went. Krystal's attention drifted back over to the tod when she stood back up from the panda's handshake, and she beckoned for him to follow, knowing full well that the gesture would drive him crazy and that he would immediately comply. His smile only growing, he gave the hostess his own thanks before jogging out the door after her, taking his place next to her as she strolled down the street.

"Well, I think that the date went well, at least," he said at a lower volume. He could tell that Krystal still found all the sounds of Corneria City at night to be enchanting and mystifying as her ears and eyes wandered with fascination from place to place, and he didn't want to break that spell. Krystal hummed in agreement.

"I do too," she murmured, her vision slowly settling down on his hand. Fox felt her fingers brush against his once, twice, three times, each time coming a little closer to coupling together. He relaxed his grip, letting them eventually slide together like two long lost twin magnets finally reunited. "And I would like to try the ritual, if for no other reason than I'd simply like to share it with you," she said meekly. Fox nodded, playfully bumping into her as they walked hand in hand.

"Okay then. How does it work?" he asked. The beads in Krystal's hair shook as she turned to look at him, her eyes sparkling and smiling and she looked up at him. Clearly, his agreement had meant the world to her, not that he'd even had to think about the decision. He would do anything Krystal asked. She nuzzled into the crook of his neck affectionately, sending pleasant sparks up and down his back, leaving the two pressed up side to side.

"Thank you, Foxy," she whispered, giving him chills as her wet nose grazed across his skin. "We'll need to find somewhere quiet, somewhere that I can focus…" she began, her mouth pulling to one side as she pondered. Her ears drooped. "I wish we were still on Sauria," she said, her shoulders sagging just a hair. "Traditionally, it was overseen in a Krazoa temple, but of course, there aren't many of those lying around here," she said, waving her hand to indicate their urban surroundings. "It's alright though," she sighed, nestling in a little closer to the tod, "as long as you're here, it'll be fine."

Krystal glanced over in confusion when Fox took a few extra beats to respond than she had expected. A little stress was written in the furrowed lines of her face, perhaps worry that she had made him uncomfortable. Instead though, she found the vulpine scheming and thinking, a face she often saw whenever he was coming up with an especially tricksy plan for a mission. Eventually, his eyes darted over to meet hers, bursting at their viridian edges with excitement. The eagerness in his mind was contagious, and she found herself smiling right alongside him. Even if she didn't know what his plan was, she knew that he had one, and that this plan's sole purpose was to grant her wish. She had no clue how he would pull it off, but if she had learned one thing from being around the tod, it was that he seemed capable of showing her new miracles every day.

"I've got an idea," he said, picking up the pace to a fast jog, laughing at the jubilance that was pulsing between them. Krystal giggled too as she chased him through the streets, the yellow lights casting brilliant shadows and reflections off their fur. "Follow me!"

A/N: It's been a while, huh? :) Hope you guys enjoy the update. There's more where this came from. I promise! Things have been… crazy. But it feels good to finally get another update out after so long. Brace for Impact is in the works still… Hopefully you'll see an update for that before too long. But yeah, I'm still alive, and still writing. Thanks to anyone who reads and enjoys it. :D


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